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I'm willing to bet a lot of money that none of this is real at all. The entire existence in AO is just a 'dream'.

As for whether it's better than the original? Well, to be honest, there are some things about the original I loathe, even if I cherished the show in its entirety, so I'm open to the idea that by the time AO is over, I'll view it as being better.

That said, I loved Charles and Ray so much that it's going to take something very special for that to happen.

The series could end up "better" though I doubt it can be as iconic. The first series was pretty slow and plodding from ep 3 through 19, so, on a few levels, AO is a lot better of an opening act.

Nothing will replace Charles & Ray. That arc is one of the best you'll ever see. But you need characters as well developed as those two to really pull it off. Those types of characters don't come around often.

Great catch on the cockpit being different. It's a 3 seater layout with a set of controls that look fairly different. It's a bit more like the original Nirvash, but not completely.

That opens up so many questions. None of which I have answers for. As it seems to be a completely different design, we have to assume it's very intentional. I guess the Nirvash is eventually going to be a 3 seater?

Very interesting AO panel with Koyama Shigeto (Designer for BONES and GAINAX) at Fanime tonight. They showed the first three eps, and I liked them even better the second time. I hate to see all the negativity, but I let him know at least some of us think AO is outstanding.

Very odd indeed, but the cockpit doesn't stay that way for the entire dream sequence. An error maybe, but certainly a very odd one.

It seems a tad too detailed and conventional to be an animation error, it's probably intentional. After the scene with three seats, it shows the nirvash flying for a second before it passes behind a building.

I dunno, I think it could be an error. Even the last "normal cockpit" scene seems really bad in terms of layout compared to normal. If they needed to rush some B-scenes, and the contractors doing those scenes weren't given detailed layouts, this sort of thing can happen. It's definitely uncommon for BONES, since they have great lead times, but who knows. The main issue for me is that those scenes look bad. They're not just "wrong" but they also seem like the sort of cuts that were sub-contracted.

Actually, I watched the scene again, and I have a slightly different thought now.

Spoiler:

Isn't it more likely that the vehicle Ao got into isn't Nirvash or an IFO at all? It looks like it could be just a FP that was lying around, and Ao got into it in his dream state, willing it to become Nirvash so he can chase after Truth. That seems to make the most sense to me. It would neither be a "hint" at any sort of true form of Nirvash, nor is it an art error. It's just a subtle detail that reinforces the dream distortion.

Actually, I watched the scene again, and I have a slightly different thought now.

Spoiler:

Isn't it more likely that the vehicle Ao got into isn't Nirvash or an IFO at all? It looks like it could be just a FP that was lying around, and Ao got into it in his dream state, willing it to become Nirvash so he can chase after Truth. That seems to make the most sense to me. It would neither be a "hint" at any sort of true form of Nirvash, nor is it an art error. It's just a subtle detail that reinforces the dream distortion.

Perfectly logical explanation. And yet it could also be foreshadowing.

Still, I don't think "real" Renton is showing up, except maybe as part of the OVA. "Real Renton" is going to be a bit more like Samuel L. Jackson by this point in the time line. We tend to forget that he + the final evolution of the Nirvash headbutted their way through Time & Space. You're a certifiable Badass at that point.

Actually, I watched the scene again, and I have a slightly different thought now.

Spoiler:

Isn't it more likely that the vehicle Ao got into isn't Nirvash or an IFO at all? It looks like it could be just a FP that was lying around, and Ao got into it in his dream state, willing it to become Nirvash so he can chase after Truth. That seems to make the most sense to me. It would neither be a "hint" at any sort of true form of Nirvash, nor is it an art error. It's just a subtle detail that reinforces the dream distortion.

Except FPs don't have controls like that. And "willing it to become Nirvash"? I don't think so. Not after all the other Easter eggs they've given.

Except FPs don't have controls like that. And "willing it to become Nirvash"? I don't think so. Not after all the other Easter eggs they've given.

FPs and IFOs all have different types of controls and cockpits. We've seen a bunch and none of them ever look the same. As far as easter eggs go, this looks nothing like the old Nirvash cockpit, nor does the vehicle look anything like Nirvash. So either it's just an FP, or it's really bad art. Take your pick.

FPs and IFOs all have different types of controls and cockpits. We've seen a bunch and none of them ever look the same. As far as easter eggs go, this looks nothing like the old Nirvash cockpit, nor does the vehicle look anything like Nirvash. So either it's just an FP, or it's really bad art. Take your pick.

What? All the FPs we've seen have steering wheels or configurations that look like steering wheels. IFOs have pilot levers

OMG! I solved the mystery! I was going back through the episodes looking through cockpit scenes to compare, and in episode 4 I found this in the background scenes at the mining base at the end when Ao met up with Naru and the Generation Bleu dudes:

Spoiler:

That's DEFINITELY the same three-seater craft that's in the dream sequence. So I think this proves that it's not Nirvash once and for all. :P

Very interesting AO panel with Koyama Shigeto (Designer for BONES and GAINAX) at Fanime tonight. They showed the first three eps, and I liked them even better the second time. I hate to see all the negativity, but I let him know at least some of us think AO is outstanding.

I don't think you're alone there. I've seen tons of positive opinions on the show, and many people even saying they already like it better than the first.

And for the most part, I share the positive opinions, even on this episode, aside from the irritatingly ntr undertones of this episode which I hope quickly prove to be Truth's hypnosis or merely confined to being the details of Ao's dream. I've been enjoying the show quite a bit, although I don't ever think I'll like it more than E7.

Wow, Naru a bitch? No way
The episode was a bit messy, but I liked it. Surely it's hard to say something about the direction writers are going to. But I'm glad of the twist, I feared for some more episodes like the lasts, with Naru waiting offscreen for a while and Ao fighting the monster of the day. Instead they decided to give us Naru back in an original way. Well, don't know if it is original nor if she is really back, surely Naru's bitchy attitude would be really something But that was a vision. Truth in the previous episode was presented as a master of mystification, shape-shifting, but even in perception. So who knows what Naru saw? Who knows what he wanted Ao saw in his dream? Truth shows himself because Ao appeared, but since that was a dream, Ao didn't appear so Truth could have kept Ao's shape.
If I had to say Naru popping out seemed a bit out of the blue, so I don't know if Truth did that to piss Ao off (make him evolve faster) or really because of Naru.

__________________

The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in our attitude towards them.

I have this info from Koyama Shigeto, one of the designers, during Fanime

Quote:

-There are actually three character designers, but (and there’s a big hint here) Yoshida Kenichi designed “characters who have a direct connection to the first series” – i.e. Ao and Naru. Oda Hiroyuki handled most of the rest

-Among the stuff Koyama designed for AO are Noah and the Secret.

-The staff is working on AO “24/7” at the moment, and hates him for leaving the country now. Kyoda-sensei promised serious bodily harm if he revealed any spoilers (not that a couple of yahoos in the crowd didn’t try).

-He said certain elements were written into AO to “make sure fans of the first series will enjoy the connection. There are hints about this in every episode”. (heh)

-He said one of the things the creators tried to do is make the music of E7 reflective of the time, and that each series is quite different musically for this reason.

-Among other gigs, Koyama-san works with Studio Khara on the EVA films (he designed Asuka’s plug suit). He also did the character design for Joey on Heroman. He said Stan Lee’s directions were “He’s 13 and poor” and that’s it. When he showed his final design to Lee, Lee said “He looks like a girl!”

-If he had to pilot only one, he’d rather pilot Nirvash over an EVA – but he loves both.
Biggest influences were designers like Okiwara Kunio and Izubuchi Yutaka. But one of his favorite mecha designs is Eve from “WALL-E” – because it’s so incredibly simple.